Sept 02, Colombo: The National Freedom Front (NFF), a coalition party of the Sri Lankan government today has suggested the government to increase the salary of the public sector employees by 40 percent in the 2015 budget.

The party suggests increasing the basic salary by 40 percent while all other allowances given to employees remain unchanged.

Addressing a press conference held in the NFF headquarters in Battaramulla, party politburo member and former minister Piyasiri Wijenayake said that the party would submit this proposal to the President to be considered at the upcoming budget proposals.

He also said that the salary structures proposed by the salary commission appointed in 2006 were not sufficient to match the present day cost of living.

Wijenayake pointed out that during the eight years since the salary commission last increased the basic salary to Rs. 11,730 in 2006, the consumer prices have risen 100 percent.

The NFF member also requested the government to take measures to eliminate salary anomalies in the public sector services.

Speaking against the government's latest policy of hiring people to state-owned institutions such as Ceylon Electricity Board, and Sri Lanka Telecom through manpower agencies, Wijenayake said the government should immediately stop the practice that enriches the manpower agencies.

He pointed out that the employees recruited through the manpower agencies do not receive government benefits and their future is uncertain since the manpower agencies are chosen by a tender process and the agency changes from year to year.

The party also called on the government to make temporary employees who have been employed for over 180 days permanent.